After a pasta-deprived period of postponing and post-postponing, Portobello Vegan Trattoria has reopened for dinner service, boasting expanded seating and exciting new menu items.

The team expanded the cozy dining room to 65 seats by removing a wall dividing the private and main areas. The new addition offers a variety of two-, four-, and six-tops and a direct view of the kitchen doors.

The menu, meanwhile, has been upgraded to emphasize the restaurant's rustic roots. Portobello hopes to shake its reputation as a special occasion destination by diversifying its offerings.

Much adored appetizers, like beet tartare and sweety peps, are now accompanied by risotto fennel fritters and battered trumpet royale mushrooms. Nut-cheese nuts can order a plate of all seven selections—including choice cheeses by Treeline and Door 86—or try one at a time. The variety of veggie dishes has increased, as has the rotating pizza menu. The pasta plates have also diversified; current dishes include butternut risotto and cavatelli with mushroom-truffle butter.

The trattoria clearly labels its gluten-free options, which comprise the majority of the menu. From (soy-free) herb-crusted 3-bean tempeh to trumpet royale scallops with white wine cashew cream, the menu manages to feel decadent yet simple, gourmet yet wholesome. Click through the slide show below for shots of the new space and a few of our favorite new dishes!

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